Wednesday, August 27, 2003

http://www.golftransactions.com/aboutgpa.html is for those folks who perform the business of golf, as opposed to the pleasure (or pain) of it. They issue a daily newsletter that updates the industry on who's doing what with which merchandise where. And when.
Treetops Resort in Michigan, for example, is scheduled to host a made-for-tv golf "Survivor" type show, during which the competitors attempt to game each other out of their play. As I understand it, every program one of the players is chosen to be erased from the game.
Here's the conundrum: If the object is to have a winning team, then the team will vote to eject the weakest member. But if it's a contest between individuals, the players will vote to eject the strongest member. (After all, why would you want to play against a great golfer when you could compete against a duffer?)
The teams, then, would offer much better golf than individual contests.
The tv production companies and networks love these types of shows because they're a lot cheaper than something that takes skill or craft (writers, actors, etc.), and they often sell just as much soap as a good show. When they can take the group to New Zealand or the Amazon, they can pay even less for a local camera and sound crew and advertise the exotic location.